Shloka 2
Indra-vijaya Upākhyāna and Śalya’s Assurance to Yudhiṣṭhira (इन्द्रविजयोपाख्यानम् — शल्ययुधिष्ठिरसंवादः)
पावक: सुमहातेजा महर्षिश्न बृहस्पति: । यमश्नच वरुणश्लैव कुबेरश्न धनेश्वर:
pāvakaḥ sumahātejā maharṣiś ca bṛhaspatiḥ | yamaś ca varuṇaś caiva kuberaś ca dhaneśvaraḥ ||
Śalya said: “Then there were present the mighty Agni (Pāvaka), the great seer Bṛhaspati, Yama, Varuṇa, and Kubera, lord of wealth.” This enumeration evokes the moral order upheld by the gods—fire as witness, justice and restraint through Yama and Varuṇa, and rightful prosperity through Kubera—framing what follows within cosmic, dharmic oversight rather than mere worldly power.
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
By invoking deities who personify purification (Agni), wise counsel (Bṛhaspati), justice (Yama), lawful restraint (Varuṇa), and wealth (Kubera), the verse suggests that power and action should be measured against dharma—truth, accountability, and responsible prosperity.
Śalya is listing prominent divine figures present/associated with the scene being described, building a sense of a grand, authoritative divine context around the events he is recounting.